Put to the Test

After finishing a practice Stanford 9 test Thursday morning, 7-year-old Kevin Pavone said he was nervous about taking the real exam next week.

“I might get the whole thing wrong,� said the Moorpark second-grader who is missing a few front teeth. “But I’m gonna have a good snack and . . . I’m gonna think really hard.�

Public school students throughout Ventura County are filling in answer bubbles and biting their fingernails this month as they engage in a stressful rite of spring--the Stanford 9 test.

About 4.3 million California students in second through 11th grades will be taking the standardized exam, which measures basic skills in reading, language arts, science and social science.

As the state enters its third year of testing, the pressure is on. The test results--to be released in July--will be used to identify the state’s best and worst performing campuses.

California’s new accountability program depends solely on the Stanford 9 scores. The results will be used to set improvement goals and determine whether schools qualify for rewards or sanctions.

In the future, other factors--such as graduation and attendance rates--will also be used to measure a school’s success.

Schools that improve on the Stanford 9 will be eligible for cash bonuses, while those that fail to better last year’s scores may face state sanctions, ranging from transferring teachers to firing principals.

Gov. Gray Davis has also proposed handing out $1,000 scholarships to students who receive the top scores on the exam. Low-performing students, on the other hand, may have to attend mandatory after-school tutoring sessions or summer classes.

“The funding of our school and the reputation of our school are riding on their little pencils,� said Cynthia Reed, Kevin’s teacher at Mountain Meadows Elementary School in Moorpark.

School districts can administer Stanford 9 tests between the middle of March and the middle of May.

In Ventura County, Simi Valley and Conejo Valley unifieds began testing this week, and Oxnard Elementary and Moorpark Unified start next week. Students in the Ventura Unified and Oxnard Union High School districts will take their exams the week of April 24.

*

In anticipation of the exams, teachers have been administering practice tests and drilling students. Principals have been giving pep talks and handing out test preparation books. And parents are sending their children to tutors and reviewing test-taking techniques.

Ventura parent Nancy Balogh said she wants her two children to do well, but she doesn’t want them to be too stressed.

“I want to make sure they get a good night’s sleep, a nutritious meal and have a relaxing morning so they can do their best,� she said.

Mountain Meadows sent home a booklet called “Test Your Best,� encouraging parents to talk to their children about strategies and tips: Read directions carefully. Stay focused on the test. Do not work too long on any one question. Do not leave any answer bubbles blank.

“I think test preparation will make a difference,� said Del Carbine, Mountain Meadows principal. “It really gives kids the idea of how to take a test.�

In between tests Thursday morning, seventh-grade students at Valley View Junior High School in Simi Valley stretched. And sighed. And sharpened their pencils.

And social studies teacher Ted Enke told them to take a deep breath, clear their heads and open their test booklets again. As the students got started again, Enke walked up and down the aisle to keep tabs on how the students were doing.

In the morning, Enke and his fellow teachers handed out juice to students as an extra energy boost.

Lindsie Bennett, 12, said the sugar helped her get through the language arts test. She said she also went to sleep at 8:30 p.m. the night before, instead of her normal 9 p.m. so she would be well rested.

But Lindsie is still not convinced of the importance of the test.

“It’s not like they’re grading you on it,� she said. “So it’s not like it matters.�

*

School administrators say the test would be more effective if it were completely aligned with the state standards and the curriculum.

Enke said that all year he has been emphasizing the areas he thought the test would cover, but also tried to stick to his regular lesson plans.

“You don’t want them to just learn what’s on the test,� he said. “You want them to get a well-rounded education.�

Buena High School teachers in Ventura have supplemented their regular curriculum with a test preparation notebook, but Principal Mike Johnson said he is still not sure that the students will be ready.

“It’s kind of disconcerting,� he said. “You could be the best teacher in the world, but you’re still sort of shooting in the dark and hoping you have prepared [students] for the tasks on the test.�

And while school officials say the Stanford 9 helps schools determine which children need extra help, some argue that it places too much pressure on both students and teachers. And in the extreme, such pressure could lead to cheating, unfair coaching or changing answers.

“I’m concerned that teachers aren’t put in a situation where they feel that they have to kick the scores up,� said Larry Hartmann, principal of Mira Monte Elementary School in Ojai.

And for students, he said, “we want them to know that it’s important, but it’s not the end of the world.�